The secret to this district’s success is its strategic plan

In the shadow of the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa City Schools is reimagining what defines a high-performing district. Superintendent Mike Daria says success starts with a strategic plan.

“We’ve been a high-performing district for a good number of students, but unfortunately, we haven’t been a very high-performing district for all students at all times,” he admits. These last few years, Daria has been focused on making changes to achieve that goal.

He refers to the district’s strategic plan as the primary filter for decision-making and budgeting, as it’s designed to “protect the district’s focus,” he explains. The document keeps leadership from being distracted by new initiatives and instead digs deeper into strategies that yield results.

For instance, workforce development is a crucial component of student success, Daria says. The district partners with West Alabama Works and its local chamber of commerce to prepare students for life after high school. In five years, Tuscaloosa City Schools has increased students’ post-graduation commitments to 97%. This includes college enrollment, employment and enlisting in the military.

“Our point is that we want every student to have every choice,” Daria says. “If college is the choice, we want every student ready for college. If a direct-to-career option is a choice, we want them ready to be highly successful in that career of choice.”

Meanwhile, he’s looking forward to expanding access to quality education, including the launch of The Saban Center, a first-of-its-kind STEM and arts campus scheduled to open mid-2027. It will be “a hub for education training, arts participation and academic support,” according to the website.

The district’s alternative pathway school doubles as a community resource center that offers mental health services, translation assistance and home improvement resources. Nonprofit service-providers get free office space.

“We get the benefit of those partners, because we give them a space and it’s also a one-stop shop for our families who have needs,” he says.

This summer, an estimated 40% of Tuscaloosa’s K-5 students will participate in summer programs to avoid “the summer slide.” Many students will even improve academically based on the past success of the programs.

Tuscaloosa City Schools is a district that demands excellence, he adds. It starts with leaders embracing flexibility.

“Successful school systems must have the structures to be able to shift when it’s time to shift,” Daria says. “We’ve worked with precision to put these structures in place with high expectations embedded.”